Finally, our new Minnie..

[smokeater1]

After months of research and looking at RV's we have our new Minnie home !
Our first outing is this weekend, only going 75 miles away, just in case !
I'm wondering about the sewer system. Our rig came only with a bayonet fitting on a hose. Seems some sort of 90 degree fitting is needed. I read that the campground connections are not standard. What sort of setup works for most of them ?  Also any opinions on those flushing valves that connect at the dump valve ?

Thanks !

 

[Tom]

Congratulations. Nice looking motorhome.

Camping World and WalMart sell a clear plastic elbow that you'll probably need at the motorhome end. The other end is a bit of a craps shoot. Some sewer connections are threaded, but the threads aren't all the same size. Others just have a plain pipe. I carry two things that cover almost all situations we've been in:

• A fitting with a mating part that has several different thread sizes. Click here to view.
• A rubber "donut" like this for the sewers without threads.

I wouldn't waste my money on a flushing adapter. Check to see if your motorhome has a built-in flushing system.

 

[Ron]

Congratulations, Neat looking rig.  I'm sure you will have many enjoyable trips in it.  Tom has given you some good advice on sewer connections.  Thanks for posting the photo.

 

[edjunior]

Dang, that's just about the cleanest driveway I've seen.  Oh, the Winnie looks pretty dang nice too!

 

[smokeater1]

We are back from our first outing in the Minnie. The kitchen sink p trap leaked a little even after I tightened the connection much as I could. That was the only glitch. We had a ball and the ability to get up at 0200 and use the bathroom was well worth the purchase price !
Back home I have learned about the battery disconnect switch. Leaving it on will run down the house batteries. Apparently the monitor panel and the gas detector draw a small amount all the time. Now I turn the battery switch off when we will be parked at home.
My wife has made a list of goodies we "need" for the Minnie. Towels and such have to match, ya know !

 

[Tom]

Glad the first trip went OK. Did you eventually get the seal on the P-trap to quit leaking?

Yes, I always turn the battery disconnect switch off for the reason you stated. Our prior coach didn't have a disconnect switch and I'd have to physically disconnect a wire from the house battery to prevent discharging. I eventually installed a disconnect switch.

 

[Bob Buchanan]

Hello:

>> We are back from our first outing in the Minnie.
====
Thanks for posting the picture of your new Minnie. Wow -- it's a beauty!! In the earlier days of my full time RVing, I worked with a rental dealer for about a year or so. They used Winnebago Class C's exclusively because their research showed that that brand held up against the rigors of rentals better than any other. I rented from them a few times before purchasing a rig myself. So the Minnie is a strong unit. BTW, the most rented RV of all is the 23 foot Class C.

I now own a 29' Tioga Class C - as I couldn't find a used Minnie that suited my needs and the price was right on this one. It's been a great rig for me -- tho now that I use it more and more in my business, I am needing more room than a Class C will allow. Plus I need more carrying capacity. Right now, the only item I can add to my storage is pop corn. ?

If parked, you are probably not using the frig. I mention this because the battery cut off switch also kills the frig -- even if running on propane. If you do want to keep the frig running (I understand it will last longer if kept active), you could run an AC line to the rig from your house.

I was wondering about the effect of slides on carrying capacity. I thought about slides, but was concerned about the added weight. What is your carrying capacity? It should be posted inside one of the bedroom wardrobe doors. That would be the difference between the GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Ratio) and the UVW (Unloaded Vehicle Weight when it left the factory). Usually, the later includes a full tank of gas, but does not include passengers, water, propane, or any other tank volumes. With just the two of you doing part time camping, that should not be a problem.

Because my limited NCC (Net Carrying Capacity) of 2400#'s, I never fill the water tank while on the road. My tank is 35 gal which is about 290 #'s of water. So that's something you might think about if you haven't already. Once I get to my destination, I will fill the tank the rest of the way.

You have a beautiful MH there -- am sure you will enjoy it.

 

[Ron]

Glad to hear you had an enjoyable time on your outing.  did you get the leak fixed?  That shouldn't be to hard to take care of.  I'm sure you will have many more enjoyable outings.

 

[Carl L]

Seems some sort of 90 degree fitting is needed. I read that the campground connections are not standard. What sort of setup works for most of them ?

Try this one:   http://www.campingworld.com/browse/skus/index.cfm?deptID=&subOf=44,19&skunum=27867

 

[smokeater1]

I finally cured the leaking p trap with my band wrench. The kind that uses a rubber strap. I was able to slip it around the connection and get just a little bit more of a turn than I could by hand. Seems to be fine now.
About the slides...I really agonized over that choice. The Lazy Daze and Born Free do not have them, but also no island queen bed under 30'. Now that we have the rig with slides, I must say they are very nice. The extra room really makes a difference. Only time and usage will tell? if they stand up without problems. I intend to use the slide dressing on the rubber seals, and keep an eye on the slide mechanism as well.? I did install a 20 amp outside plug on my house in order to have shore power. Not enough to run the a/c but will charge the house batteries and allow me run the fridge prior to a trip. We have even "camped out" in our driveway just for the fun of it.
Glad to hear the Winnebagos have a rep for being durable. We felt they offered just a bit higher grade of craftmanship than others of the same price range.